Filing apparatus



0d. 3 R. McKNlGl-iT 1,827,296

FILING APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1929 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Oct. 13, 1931. R. M KNIGHT FILING APPARATUS Filed March 29. '1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 13, 1931 l I I mmmmm" This invention relatesfto devicesfiforuse'in indicating the positiou ofopapersor files be-" connectionwithverticalfilingsystemsfof -pa-, fore compressing;

.pers cards, sheetimusic, catalogglrecorclsor 11 igure;-7 isfajsimilar viewindicatilig the v H anything Whichmay be convenieutlyfileclin ,positlon of thefiles forcompressing; l

3 {1 this manner. WVhileAthe term vertical has Fgure 8 is, a sectional detail howiug' one i357 heretoforebeen used more or fless generally of'the'clividerlatchesin'locking position with? forcertaiu filing systems; it has usually been the paprsjcompressecl; 1 l v im o'reorsless; erroneously appliedxas the any; :EiguIeQjs'asimilar 'viewvshowi ngtheidi QtiCleS to be filed; whichtor convenieiicefw'vill' vidermoveidfinwardlyto loosen the papers or;

iflo-hereafterxbe designated asfpapersyhave usurelieye the compression; and.-

- allyzbeenfr eeto leauzouer:orassume adiage Figure 10;isasectionaldetail of the folona lipositioil clue to't he lack 'ofproper comloWer' plateand: acljustablej engagiu'g {memx a 3 1 pi'essioniu.theiholdiugclevicesPThey-resent 1761 01113119, 'Q rf-c. 2 2; l V inventionPrOvidesmeans Whereby'thepape'rs The 'filiug-" dra er? 11;;as shown in these ",fisufiicient compressiou'to maintainthenilin, v

proper filing' 'position. f LL; GItl1 BIf Slt'eel OIjWOOCl, being provided-with The objects of this invention are'to: pro. 21; channel o1 -longitudinal,depression. 12 in v a Vide, an improved vertical filing system; to 1V 'l bottom fi fimln d- Of v he v sualizoyprovide a system of this charaCtet: having IQ l r/ 1 HO fbl ChI provide v70 means for'compressing thepapers or other .4 lOz i g-l dingllly movable rod 13 =Wl1l0ll is =a'xfti cles'tobe filed therein ;1 to provide a filing prov ded at its outer endqwith handl'el or apparatus in whichioneiorimorerdividersancluik b l'l vha vmgv a finger or pointer 15' on" e follower block'ni'ayibeconvenientlyuadjust ;@116 ,SI BEijhQIQQfi- The rod "moves through :T5 5iecl and held in adjusted position; to. proyiclei & -;h' Q e fing l6 in the end of, the

, a rod -actuated compressorv system for filing r w r. 11,-:2' a cabinets; tolprovide me'ansto compress the; ZA'followet p i 1 12111517 witch pr'efem i ex-e entire contents ofa filing'drawer by; pulling te uclssubstantially-across the drawe rlor is e forwardly, on a knob .at the, front of the. Qt approxnnatelye-sanlj sizie b e papers c ,ferrcl formoffconstruction and Inade of U j drawer;;torpi'ovicle-means forholclifigdivid 7 11 l as w ing :18 or, engagement 1 l I ing plates adjusted position; toprovide.,Witlitlie roolfl35zsuch bearingjleeingina'de; i u 1 a compressor system that maybereadily'ap-c anysuitable mamier and sufiiciently .long gy plied to. existing filing cz lbinets;andtovjprc xl hi l l f l wjr. pl teifvi'llgb'e ,heldin sub-J 1 a I Vide such other novel'featui esfancl improve sflantl yi,v i fi 1fll p -e Th' s iOHOWQfv 35 meuts intconstruction ias,Will."appearmore ple e j sia e i r d w n g i w Whi byfullyhereinafter, r ngag lt ev a n l 2- O 'g i i g1t In theaccompanyingdrawingsillustrating p at nitsm nt along r wn l :zf-thisinventiony f U j I ad ustable collar or; compression member, 20 V I i Figure lyisa pla'nfviewofadrawer-pro l w 'e the dil llu yr flb fl m n-i 1G vid d with imp o edt z 11er,va s 'loyjmeans of a-setscrew 21-and i s Figure 2.,is a sectional'viewtaken on'thewadap ed-i oengag hj ol ow r p ate li '2 fFi u g--1; 71;] Q c, i to draw the pla-tec forwarcl henathe'pa'per's Figure 3 is a detail sectional view/taken on. {are'to bfi lp ie s d; 1 3; I l

w the line 3-3. of Figure 1;; e 1 5 ,Que or more separat ngplatesoi' dividers 'f} 4 5 Figure.l isasimilaraview taken onthe line ZCOQ D fi mdfi ld g th fi QL offFi'gure 1; 5 r-p pe 4 pr e y iu Q 1P9$iti9I1 :Fi ur iafisu diagrammatic viewloif the :These -ep a s 1ay-1 ee; 0 y; desi ed'- f -co'nupressoic :rod aud on'eF of the? divider s zegsuitablej forqmovmgand hOldlIlgithG ,l mh i; papers and mayconveniently'be pointedso 50 Fi ures i5 fa 1a;1giwaim1 steam i i vifthat-t rpp ye d fl3 wi e t em-.g

position but will be thrown out of engage the papers or files in the drawer so that the plates may indicate numerically or alphabetical divisions if desired. Each plate has a bearing or sleeve 24 for engagement with the rod 13. Each of these plates also has a loop or keeper 25 for a vertically movable latch 26. These latches have tongues or projections 27 which extend through slots 28 in the keepers to prevent the latches from becoming disengaged while at the same time permitting sufiicient longitudinal movement thereof. The rod 13 is provided with a plurality of notches or recesses 29 for receiving the latches 26 of the respective dividers 22. These notches are positioned on one side of the rod so that the latches will engage therewith when the notches are turned to one ment when the rod is turned to another position.

While the filin may be performed in various ways as or different articles, the operation of the device will usually be as follows. A plurality of divider plates will be arranged in spaced relation, for instance as shown in Figure 1 wlth the papers or articles to be'filed as indicated at 30 placed between the holding members a's shown in Figure 1. If the rod is turned with the notches up, the dividers will be held in their respective positions by the engagement of their latches with the notches. If it is desired to compress the papers or files, the rod 13 is turned until the notches disengage the latches and the rod is drawn forwardly by means of the handle 14. This causes the collar 20 to engage with the follower plate 17 and move it forwardly until all of the papers are compressed and held in vertical position. The rod is then shoved back to its initial or innermost position, the files being held in vertical compressed position by the friction of the papers and operating members in the drawer, or if desired the operator may hold one hand against the back of the follower plate 17 while pushing the rod in.

The collar orinovable projection 20 may be adjusted along the rod so that a limited movement willbe sufficient for compression and also to prevent the follower plate from working too far back in the drawer.

If it is desired to relieve the tension for convenience in inserting new papers or files,

' the operator draws the rod 13 outwardly a short distance for instance as indicated in Figure 7, and then turns the notches up, the position thereof being indicated by the pointer 15. This brings the notches in position to p beengaged by the latches 26 and by pressing the rod inwardly all of the dividers will be moved inwardly a corresponding distance.

This increases the space between the first divider and the front of the drawer and re lieves the compression-so that the new files or papers may be readily placed in their teena e proper positions between the guiding and supporting members.

With this arrangement it will be seen that all of the papers or files in the respective divisions are securely held in position, and if desired the divider plates 22 may be marked so that they will also act as index members. By means of this arrangement, all of the papers in one division may be removed and then returned to the same di- 7 vision, or other papers inserted if desired. This apparatus provides interdivisional mechanism for holding or supporting the files in the most satisfactory manner and also provides means whereby the compression and distribution of the contents of the drawer may be controlled from outside thereof. The compression of the files or papers at the bottom is a desirable feature as it tends to hold them even and neat and also tends to. increase the filing capacity of the drawer. This compression of the papers at the bottom of the drawer will prevent their slipping or crumpling so that one paper or file will not work under the others as is more or less common with the usual filing systems now in use.

Changes may be made in the various parts or construction of my improved apparatus in order to adapt the same for diiferentconditions or for difierent filings without de-i parting from the scope or intent of this invention as set forth in the following claims in which I claim:

1. A filing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving the articles to be filed, movable compression means Within the receptacle for supporting and pressing articles filed therein, and longitudinally movable actuating means operable from without the receptacle for actuating the compressiori--- means.

2. A filing system comprising a drawer, a longitudinally movable rod mounted in sa1d drawer, a handle for moving said rod, a follower plate having a bearing'engaging with said rod, and a projection on the rod for engagement with the plate whereby the plate will be drawn forwardly when the rod is pulled out.

3. The combination with a drawer, of alongitudinally movable rod mounted therein, a handle for moving said rod, a follower block slidably mounted in the drawer, said block having a bearing engaging with the rod, and a member which is adapted to be adjustably secured in various positions on the rod for engagement with the block to actuate the same.

l. In a filing system, the combination of a drawer, a longitudinally movable rod mounted in said drawer, a handle for actuatingthe rod, one or more dividing plates arranged transversely of the drawer, and connecting means for connecting the plates at times with the rod whereby the plates may be 3? rocable rod mounted in the drawer and hav-' slid longitudinally of the drawer by means oftherodp p a I e 5. In a filing apparatus-the combination of a drawer, a longitudinally movable rod mountcdin the drawer, acompressor plate,

means on the rod for actuatin the-compressor plate, a plurality of divi erplates, and

- coacting means for locking thedividerplates I r at predetermined times to the rod;

6. The combination of a drawer, a recipingnotehes therein, verticallyarranged divider plates having bearings onthe rod and cles within thereceptacleand longitudinally movable means adapted to beactuated from without the receptacle'and coacting with the v compression meansfor sliding the same. H t

' RICHARDM KNIGHT. p

catches on said 'plates for engagement with y said'notches. l I p '7. The combination with a drawer, of a reciprocable rod mounted therein and having a plurality of notches ton one sidethereof, a

V handle forreciprocatin'g said rod, a plurality i therewith and whenthef rod is turned with l i the notches downwardly engage with the notches.

8. In a filing apparatus, 'th'e rcombination of a drawer or receptacle for] receiving the 7 articles to be filed, a rodslidably androtatablymounted in the drawer and projecting I through-the front thereof,gsaid rod having'a plurality of recesses along 'oneside, a handle I on the front end ofthe rod having means for it the latches will not 7 indicating the position of therecesses in the 7' rod, a follower block slidably mounted in the drawer and having abearing on'said rod, an adjustable collar onthe rod forengagement with the block, a plurality of divider plates having bearings engaging with the rod, and catches .on said plates for the recesses in the rod.

9. Incombination,afilinggchannel,dividers therein, and. a rotatable and longitudinally engagement with V I movable rod in the lower. portion ofthe V a 1 U drawer, the rod and dividers having inter- 7 locking means arranged .to be engaged and disengagedby the rotary movementof the rod, and said rod having a compressing abutment on 1ts lnner end.

In Combination; a filingerawrrdi- Vlders t in, a longitudinally movable rod in the lower portion of the drawer, and means for releasably interlocking the dividers and rod to permit themovement of the dividers I I with or independently ofthe" rod, the di- I it 7 V 6 viders having extendedbearin'g sleeves fixed taclefor receiving the articles to be hl'ed, s1id-: able compression means within the receptacle :5 forengaging the lower portions of the artithereto and guided on the rod. r r 4 11; A filing apparatus comprisingarecepi .1301 if eof 

